Scholarships & Training for Rural Guatemalan Women

Summary

Barbara lives in a small village in Guatemala. She graduated in October as a trained office secretary. She volunteers at a local junior high school as a teacher's aide as she looks for a job. She needs to find work soon to help her family. Her lack of experience holds her back. All that is open is work as a domestic. Your donations will pay her a salary for her work at the school. She will gain experience for her resume and provide valuable service to the school, teacher, and students.

Challenge

Many young women take up to a year to find work. They often give up looking and stay home to help their mothers with the housework or take jobs that do not use the skills their education provided. Barbara is in this category. She is beginning to get discouraged and frustrated. She really likes working in her chosen career, but does not see a way forward.

Solution

Barbara is one of the young women looking for work. Every place that she applies tells her she needs to have experience. If she can continue her work as a teacher's aide, she will gain experience and be encouraged to continue looking for work that she is trained for.

Long-Term Impact

When surveyed in 2010, 84% of former Kateri Tekakwitha Fund recipients were currently employed. The women expressed that their increased economic security is critically important to them. One woman stated, "I know how to better face life. I have more opportunities in different places, and I have a sense of security". Others said "because I have a salary I can help my family" and "we don't have to suffer a single day anymore without food", expressing their gratitude for the Fund.

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